A printer creates an image or structure by propelling droplets of “ink” onto a medium such as paper, plastic, or other substrates. The printer has a printhead disposed at least partially therein. A conventional printhead is designed as a single, monolithic component that includes a jetstack, a piezoelectric device, and drive electronics (e.g., a circuit board, electrical cables, etc.).
When a printhead fails (e.g., to pass inspection), oftentimes, the entire printhead is discarded. This is the case even though only one component in the printhead (e.g., the electronics) may be faulty while the other components are operational. What is needed, therefore, is an improved system and method for reducing the amount and/or number of components that go to waste when a printhead fails to pass inspection.